


Alone

by sleeponrooftops



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-23
Updated: 2007-08-23
Packaged: 2017-10-31 07:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/341765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeponrooftops/pseuds/sleeponrooftops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last thing he heard was his insane laugh, remembering how he threw back his head when he cackled. The last thing he saw was his beautiful smile, and the way his warm hazel eyes glowed with an ever-happy twinkle. The last thing he thought was that he never got to say goodbye, and how he would never know how much he loved him. He was alone now. Forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This story was both inspired by ‘When You’re Gone’ by Avril Lavigne, and a video I saw on youtube that left me crying for the rest of the night.
> 
> We miss you, Fred.

“Hey!  George!”

 

“’Sup, Fred?  Fred?  FRED!”

 

George awoke with a start.  He had had the same dream, its presence difficult to predict, for the past four years.  He was sitting by the old tree on Hogwarts grounds.  He was older then; Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was already open and well under business.  The war was over and everything was finally peaceful.  He had returned to Hogwarts for he missed the castle greatly.  It was a second home to him.  After a while, he left the tree and walked around the castle, smiling as he came upon the Pitch.  That was when he heard Fred’s voice.  He went running, glad to see his twin for they had been apart the whole day.  As he came around the side of the building, he saw the great hole in the wall.  He responded to Fred’s call, but then noticed his brother, his best friend was slowly falling backward before he crashed into the hard floor and disappeared into thin air.

 

The last thing he heard was his insane laugh, remembering how he threw back his head when he cackled.  The last thing he saw was his beautiful smile, and the way his warm hazel eyes glowed with an ever-happy twinkle.  The last thing he thought was that he never got to say goodbye, and how he would never know how much he loved him.  He was alone now.  Forever.

 

He didn’t cry afterward.  He didn’t grieve.  He was strong, always there to help his family.  No one understood him anymore.  They couldn’t understand why he felt so empty, so torn.  Half of him had died and they couldn’t understand.  He had lost his best friend, his brother, his twin.  He had always told Fred everything.  He told him his secrets, his thoughts, his ideas, his feelings, his troubles.

 

He had always done everything with him.  When they were younger, they took bathes together.  Sometimes even when they were older, they’d run outside in the middle of winter in their swim trunks and hose each other down.  They made plans together to cause as much mayhem as they could.  They got each other in trouble… and out of it.  They switched places all the time.  They confused everyone as much as they could.  One time, when they were preparing for their graduation special, they took turns befuddling Umbridge by talking to her differently and not remembering anything of their previous conversation.  Of course, the other always did something behind her back and when she turned, they’d switch.

 

They spent weeks planning their escape from Hogwarts.  Their mum yelled at them endlessly when she found out what they had done, but they merely shrugged and walked out the door.  And now, Fred was gone and George had no one, nothing.  And no one could get that.  It made sense for his mum and dad to be grieving.  They lost their son.  So why was it so weird for George to be upset?  Why wasn’t he allowed to cry or scream or break down?  Why was he supposed to be strong?  Fred was his rock.  He was the only thing that made him get up in the morning.

 

But here he was, four years to the day and he still hadn’t cried.  He hadn’t showed any emotion toward anyone in those four years.  He was single, alone.  He was one twin, alone.  He was childless, alone.  He was an owner, alone.  He was a co-owner, alone.  He ran his shop, alone.  He stood in the corner at family get-togethers, alone.  He did his daily work, alone.  He sat in his empty and quiet shop, alone.

 

He talked to himself, alone, and tried to mimic the conversation as if there were two of him, but it was useless.  He wore the awful sweater with the F on the front.  He referred to himself as Gred, for Fred was the only one that ever called him that.  He tried to confuse people and say there was two of him and then switch places with himself… but it never worked.  He tried to crack jokes and wait for an answer, but it never came.  He tried to go on double dates, claiming he had a twin, but the girls always left when they realized it was just him.  He slept in Fred’s bed in their apartment.  He used his pillow.  But no one ever understood.

 

And now, four years to the day, he was still empty inside and out.  “George?”  That familiar voice.  George hated it now.  He didn’t want to hear it.  It just continued to hurt him.  He couldn’t hurt anymore.  He needed it to stop.  He had to go on.  It was killing him inside.  “George?”

 

“GO AWAY!” he screamed, falling onto his knees right in the middle of his shop.  There were a few customers there that day.  Only a few; people hardly came now with Fred gone.  They had seen the real George and they slowly started not coming.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there today, though.  They usually came by around noon to check up on him and it was only just nearing one.  Ron left to contact his mum as George gripped his head in between his hands and rocked back and forth.

 

“George, look at me.  Please.”  There was a soft sob and George looked up.

 

“Go away,” he cried, his lower lip trembling.  “Please go away.”

 

“I love you, George.  I know you miss me, but you have to know… I understand.  I do.  I promise.”

 

“Really?”  George looked up.  Fred always kept his promises.  He always meant them.  Always.  “Fred, I need you.  I can’t go on.”

 

“I’m here.  I promise.”

 

“Don’t leave me.”  George was crying by now.  He couldn’t hold it in any longer.  He needed to be able to hold his twin again.  He needed to be able to cry on his shoulder, or scream back and forth with him, or laugh until he cried, or, or feel his embrace again.  He needed him to live.

 

“I’ll always be with you.  I promise.”

 

“No, Fred, I need you!” George shrieked, sobbing harder as he choked on his tears.  Harry and Hermione were standing behind him, watching the scene unfold.

 

“I’ll help you live.  I promise.”

 

“Don’t leave me.  Please don’t.”

 

“George, I love you.  Don’t ever forget that.  I know you knew that.  You can’t ever think that I didn’t.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

“I have to go.”

 

“No!”  He was hysterical at this point.  He could barely breathe.  Ron and his parents had just entered the shop.

 

“Look at me.”  George slowly raised his gaze and met his twin’s.  “I miss you.”

 

“I miss you so much,” he hiccupped, staring steadily at Fred.

 

“I’m here now, though.  I’m never going to leave again.  I’ll always be right here.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“I promise.”

 

“Goodbye.”  Fred smiled and laughed, causing George to cry harder.

 

“Goodbye, my brother,” he whispered as he enveloped George in a tight hug.  George fell forward, his back bent over and his head in his arms as he sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.  His parents quickly rushed over to him and held him close, whispering soothing words.

 

They understood now.


End file.
